April 04, 2007

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House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) has asked the Republican National Committee to provide his committee with copies of all the e-mails sent by administration officials “for partisan political purposes.”

Waxman, who is traveling in the Middle East this week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), sent a letter to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan on Wednesday requesting his political committee to provide the government reform panel with e-mails that are still stored on RNC servers.

The government reform chairman is following up on revelations that surfaced during a hearing last week that White House political aide J. Scott Jennings delivered a 28-page PowerPoint presentation to political appointees at the General Services Administration about the GOP’s top federal and state targets for the current election cycle.

Committee members grilled GSA Administrator Lurita A. Doan about the presentation last week, and Waxman is investigating whether Doan or any of the approximately 40 GSA employees who attended the briefing violated the Hatch Act, which prevents federal employees from participating in partisan activities on government time.

Waxman is requesting any electronic messages sent or received by Jennings, top White House political adviser Karl Rove or any other White House officials using RNC email accounts regarding:

(1) the January 26, 2007, PowerPoint presentation at GSA
(2) the presentation of any similar political briefings at other federal agencies or to other federal employees, or
(3) the use of federal agencies or resources to help Republican candidates

This is the second such letter Waxman has sent to the RNC.

"We are going to respond appropriately" to the request, said Lisa C. Miller, the RNC communications director.

White House officials often maintain e-mail accounts through the RNC on which to send politically sensitive messages prohibited under the Hatch Act.

I am writing to request e-mail communications stored on Republican National Committee servers that relate to the use of federal agencies and federal resources for partisan political purposes.

Last week, the Committee held a hearing into allegations of misconduct at the General Services Administration. One of the issues examined at the hearing involved a partisan political presentation that White House Deputy Director of Political Affairs, J. Scott Jennings, made to the GSA Administrator, Lurita A. Doan, and approximately 40 GSA appointees in the GSA headquarters building on January 26, 2007. At this event, Mr. Jennings presented a 28-page PowerPoint briefing that reviewed the 2006 election results and identified the Republican party's top electoral targets in upcoming federal and state elections. Following the presentation, Ms. Doan asked her staff to consider how GSA resources could be used to help "our candidates" in the next election.

Serious questions were raised at the hearing about the legality and propriety of Mr. Jennings's presentation and the discussion that followed it. In addition, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service issued a report finding that the presentation itself and Ms. Doan's comments could be violations of the federal Hatch Act. According to a White House spokesperson, however: "This is regular communication from the White House to political appointees throughout the administration."

In communicating with GSA about the presentation, Mr. Jennings and his assistant used "gwb43.com" e-mail accounts maintained by the RNC rather than their official White House e-mail accounts. In their e-mails, they described the presentation as a "close hold" and said that "we're not supposed to be emailing it around."

To assist the Committee in its investigation of these issues, I request that you provide any electronic messages sent or received by Karl Rove, J. Scott Jennings, or any other White House officials using accounts maintained by the RNC that relate to (1) the January 26, 2007, PowerPoint presentation at GSA, (2) the presentation of any similar political briefings at other federal agencies or to other federal employees, or (3) the use of federal agencies or resources to help Republican candidates.

The Committee requests that you produce these documents on or before April 18, 2007.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight committee in the House of Representatives and has broad oversight jurisdiction as set forth in House Rule X. An attachment to this letter provides additional information about how to respond to the Committee's request.

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There's every chance that this will prove to be the bigger scandal, literally dwarfing Attorneygate. Remember, we only saw White House emails (what few, and what unredacted ones Bush provided), and they were *incredibly* incriminating. Everything is pointing to the RNC servers as containing the real racketeering, and this investigation will expose emails on RNC. Smart analysts are predicting historic shock-and-awe when these are revealed.

Is this what Dems were elected for?
Investigate everything while the country needs help in all sorts of areas.
This investigating has to stop so they can try and get something done.
Maybe they feel better investigating since they have so few ideas that could actually get approved.

"Is this what the Democrats were elected for?"
Yes; to carry out their obligations to provide oversight, among other things NOT performed by the GOP Congress for the past six years.
That's how we avoid dictatorship by the White House.
Thank you Mr. Waxman!

Atta boy, Wax Man. Bring on the show trials! That's what we want our Congress people in Washington to be doing! Who's got time for Social Security or Islamic terror threats? We want political theater! Bring in the clowns! Put a big red nose on that Kennedy fella -- Oh! That's right, he already HAS one!

Very simple answer-- stick it up your rear view mirror. Same old harrassment from the Ugly Non-American. Total waste of time as if the Country had nothing else of importance. We need to spend lots and lots and lots of time on reducing this wastful goverment and defeat all manner of tax increases proposed by the liberal know-it-alls and full of themselve poltroons.

The RNC should simply tell them to stuff it. How is this any different that Nixon's plumbers breaking into the Watergate to get at Dem files...other than they are brazen enough to do it in the open and through the auspices of Congress?

For all those who think that this is a "just" step for the Dems to take......what if we asked for all DNC Emails for the same purpose? I'm tired of congress not doing their jobs and working short weeks!

Maybe the Whitehouse should drag Waxman before a grand jury and ask him what concesions he made to Syria and who authorized him to make them. Maybe while he's at it, he may want to read the Constitution and find out where his magical mystical "over sight" authority comes from in Article I.

Hmmm...I wonder how many of Pelosi's aids were "participating in partisan activities on government time" during the last election cycle?
This is just more Donkey Droppings from the party that gave us "attorney gate." Let's see - the President fired attornies he was well within his rights to fire. Must be something up!

This is nothing but a fishing expidition. Henry Waxman (Nostrilitis) and the rest of the dems despise the Bush Administration and will do anything in their power to disgrace them. They are not looking for the truth. They just want to embarrass and discredit Republicans and more specifically President Bush

Nothing will come of this 'show trial'. Unfortunately it took segregationist Governor Wallace to reveal the truth that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between" Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats willingly went along with the War in Iraq, suspension of Habeas Corpus, detaining protesters, banning books like "America Deceived' from Amazon, stealing private lands (Kelo decision), warrant-less wiretapping and refusing to investigate 9/11 properly. They are both guilty of treason.
Last link (before Google Books bends to gov't Will and drops the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0

The hypocritical republicans have
all but gutted the constitution over
the last 6 years. the problem with
them is, they put the party ahead
of country and govern by division.
it was the "United States" that led the world, not the divided states.

Ha! Reading the messages left by GOP hacks, I laugh my ass off. For years there's been no oversight whatsoever, and now, just when Congress has finally started to do its Constitutional duty, all these rightwing wackos and rubberstampers are in panic mode. Right on, Mr. Waxman!

Mr. Waxman is the PERFECT example of why we do not need lawyers in the Senate and House.
Lawyers are guided by the law not ETHICS! That includes what they can get around, as long as it's NOT illegal!!!
Let the courts adjudicate the law... Let the Congress represent the American voters, not LAWYERS!
FIRE THEM ALL, and NEVER elect another lawyer to congress!
Howard Ino!

The Republicans have made such a mess of our country. By letting Bush do what he felt like doing and never asking him why the Dems will have to look into everything and clean this mess up. Right on Mr Waxman. Keep up the good work.

The RNC should tell Waxman to go to court for the emails, and lock him up in proceedural battles until the DNC releases all similar records.
Alernatively, Bush should call for a special prosecutor for the express purpose of investigating BOTH SIDES for violations.
That should either force the Dems to back off, or defend their refusal to allow themselves to undergo equal scrutiny....

Hallelujah and pass the ammunition! The repugnics are such cry babies. hahaha
There seems to be a desperation to distract from the pain and shame they have brought to this great country. They always try to create a dog fight. They should do as Speaker Pelosi suggests the President do and take a deep breath and live up to the greatness our parents and earlier generations gave us. God Bless America! Peace.

I just wish he and the other in the House and Senate would ask Sen. Feinstein about her work as a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee and voted appropriations worth BILLIONS of dollars to her husband?s firms. His name is Richard C. Blum and is now the head of the California College System.

As long as Congressman Jefferson goes unindicted I can't take seriously any ethics probes by the Democrats. There is deafening silence from the Democrats on the Jefferson issue. Has ANY Democrat spoken out about Jefferson? Is the Justice Dept dragging their feet out of fear or have they been threatened by anyone in Congress? e-mails relevant to this situation would be very interesting to read.

thenekkidtruth ...... if you're so interested in exposing "scandal" I suggest you start with democrat Diane Feinstein assisting her husband to fat government contracts. Whats that? Not interested? Of course not ....

Reading the 3rd grade level tripe from the GOP (Getting Old and Perverted)makes it obvious they love their cult more than they love their country. Back into the backwoods for all you rednecks. you ALMOST ruined this country, but the lefties will save us...again.

I wonder if it is possible to investigate and then prosecute the former chairman of this committee, Tom Davis, for not doing his duty and asking questions about what the repugs have been doing for 6 years. It seems to me that he took an oath to do 'oversight' and then allowed the repugs to do whatever they felt like doing. Sounds like dereliction of duty to me.

hey I think I see jimmy hoffa or wait maybe thats osami obama hiding in your nose henry,right next to the missing papers ,covering cold cash to the tune of $90,000, sandy burglar was stuffing into his pants instead of a sock.

Henry Nostralitus Waxman and the rest of the democrats are a joke. Power at any price. Democrats will try to make this war on terror impossible to win just to gain power. They will try to cripplethe white house with baseless accusations and scandal where ther is none. The RNC should tell waxman to stick the nose where the sun don't shine. His Ass should be fat enough to take it all.

You can tell which posters are Republicans. They're the ones making childish personal attacks, and they're the ones freaking out that Waxman's actually doing his job. Only cockroaches run when the light come on.

Sounds like Waxman could be accused of "use of federal agencies and federal resources for partisan political purposes" with his fishing expidition. Why bother breaking into the DNC headquarters in the Watergate building to spy on your political enemy when you can just abuse suppena authority? The executive branch needs to impeach and convict Waxman!

Sounds like someone's going fishing! I'd be all for if the DNC forwarded all emails to all Democrats on the hill. And from if the Teamsters and AFL-CIO sent all emails sent the Dem congressman and senators.
Now THAT would be hilarious. As it stands, this smacks of hypocrisy.
And all you Libs can suck it.

Republicans will have to learn to do all they're communicating through a super secret sign language and not commit anything to paper or email or any recorded communication because Henry (I don't play politics) Waxman will subpeona it. If you are a Democrat you truly are a loser that wants and wishes for American defeat. Because defeat means democratic victory. I don't know whose worse. The Democrats or their Socialist cousins the French.

I am just glad that my Republican friends are being consistent. I seem to remember a few investigations when they were in the oversight drivers seat, but strangely only when President Clinton was in office. There was travelgate, christmas card listgate, Fostergate, a land deal in Arkansas that lost money gate, and then of course Monicagate to name a few. Since those distinguished oversight exercises, the government has seemingly been running in perfect synch. Then those ugly Democrats were elected and all of sudden they are checking on the Department of Justice (potential obstruction of justice) and the General Services Agency (possible violation of the Hatch Act.) Why would anyone investigate a situation where top DOJ officials from the AG on down are making diametrically opposed statements. Democrats should really ignore these tempests in a tea pot, as we know the Republicans would certainly do so.

Okay, just a quick thought to anyone reading this. Do you have more than one e-mail account? And if you have one for "work" do you send a letter to your pal about what an idiot boss you have on it, or do you hop over to your Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo account to do that? This requests all information received using accounts maintained by the RNC. How stupid do they think that these people are?
George.Bush@WhiteHouse.gov

Waxman should investigate Illinois. Democrat Governor Blagojevich and his Chicago Democrat buddies have been running an enormously corrupt machine. Using state workers on state time to campaign for him. Firing competent workers and replacing them with incompenent political flunkies who bought the job via campaign donations. It is a very long list, too long to go into here.

and how is this news? As if this is surprising....admittingly for "partisan political purposes"... perhaps that should be the headline... Nope! Not if this is a hit peace on the Republican party...a hit piece, but a wild shot. Figures, since democrats don't know how to use a gun anyway. No wonder they want them banned.

this is disgusting - nothing short of disgracceful. THis is the level of intelligence our nation has stooped to? You are all a disgrace. Hey, mindless drones, CRITICAL THINKING and REALITY do not make men Socialists. Ending a war before the entire middle east surrounds our entire army and destroys all of our military is not "defeatism". It is, in fact, trying to prevent that from even being an option. And, since you are such proud republicans, why are you not outraged at the largest expansion of government since FDR, the intentional destruction of civil liberties you claim to love so dearly as you threaten to kill people who practice free speech, the politicalisation of the judicial system, the suspension of habeus corpus, a REPUBLICAN president who has never vetoed a spending bill, a politcal party trying to subvert our entire system of democracy. If you love republicanism, you should be doing what you can do to SAVE IT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DESTROYING IT!!!! Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, on and on and on and on - these people do not represent American values, nor Republican values. Wake up and smell the Kool-aid. And I say this as a conservative. But conservatives are not conservatives anymore - this was evident when Kerry (shudders) was preaching fiscal conservatism. They are Christian Socialists, basically Stalin except with Jesus. How can you even claim to know what you are talking about when the same abuses of power you are insinuating people support when you call them Socialists are the same abuses of power that you agree that GWB should have? The same "with the government or against the government" mentality that you continue to manifest in your actions and words? This isn't about democrat or republican - it's about being American. And no American, no true patriot would ever allow these acts of treason to continue. I didn't mind what he did(it's not like he started a war on the basis of lies), but I agreed with the Clinton impeachment, solely on the basis that it needed to make clear that not even the president was untouchable. he lied on the stand, which is a crime, was tried, and aquitted. If Bush has done nothing wrong, let the record prove it. This is sick and makes me ashamed to be an American. F***ing pathetic...

Heck, we'll make it easy for you demoscats to read about your aboveboard (not) heroes and heroines:
http://www.metroactive.com/feinstein/blum.html
Now please write to Harry Waxjob and ask him to investigate his own side of the aisle.

Rocky, so let me get this straight. You are going to use the rational that "well, well, THEY DID IT FIRST!" If it didn't work when you were twelve, why do you suppose it will work now as adults? What you are basically saying is you don't mind law breaking as long as it's the team you're betting on? That's the most insane logic I've ever heard. What you are saying is basically the justification of anything. So you would be cool with China launching an illegal war on us and occupying our country to "liberate" us (aka force their beliefs on us). and when you get all riled up they can just say "well you guys did it first" and you'll accept that as an answer and walk away, allowing yourself to submit to their will? Please tell me you are chained to a radiator or a parapalegic - I really hope you can't vote.

Waah, waaah, waaah...you know, it speaks volumes that these hypocritcial republicans are all the sudden outraged by congressional oversight when they led more waste of time/ money fishing expeditions into Clinton than the dems have ever done to bush. How pathetic that they can dish it out, but, they sure cant take it. You republican types just need to shut your yapper and realize that you LOST the election, and you arent in charge anymore. Just sit back and take it like a man for a change instead of some whiny spoiled child. Go cry to someone else, because the American people spoke last Nov., and they resoundingly told the republicans to take a hike, losers!

Rocky, so let me get this straight. You are going to use the rational that "well, well, THEY DID IT FIRST!" If it didn't work when you were twelve, why do you suppose it will work now as adults? What you are basically saying is you don't mind law breaking as long as it's the team you're betting on? That's the most insane logic I've ever heard. What you are saying is basically the justification of anything. So you would be cool with China launching an illegal war on us and occupying our country to "liberate" us (aka force their beliefs on us). and when you get all riled up they can just say "well you guys did it first" and you'll accept that as an answer and walk away, allowing yourself to submit to their will? Please tell me you are chained to a radiator or a parapalegic - I really hope you can't vote.

When exactly does the media realize enabling the Democrats has actually been disastrous for them? As in all the cheerleading has screwed the media every step of the way?
Let's get the NSA and CIA prison and Swift program reporters emails! Internal discussion of these reporters with their editors!
Let's look at the DNC emails! Schumer's criminal stealing Michael Steele's private financial information emails! William Jefferson's emails! Oh nevermind HE"S FIGHTING THAT!
If a Democrat is President do they get every reporter who says something they don't like emails too? You know it.
Or anyone I consider an opponent!
Subpoena the Daily Kos's emails for communications and strategy with Democrat operatives because we know they are out there in the form of "Townhouse" among others!
Did someone say Democrats were privacy protectors? Because increasingly that is looking like the biggest joke evuh!

The system is broken, left and right, but it's the executive branch that is completely out of control. And if you're worried about a Dem doing the same things as the "liberals" are mad at GWB doing (psst - even majority of the right hates his shady b.s), then you should support the exact oversight measures you are complaining about. There needs to be a line drawn in the sand when things get this bad, whether it be Nixon or Bush, to prevent ANY presdent from acting like a dictator. This is a republic, and you cannot deny that if you love America, it needs to remain that way. Allowing the executive branch unlimited power without oversight is worse than whatever any terrorist could ever do to this country. That only leads to tyranny. And we are a far cry from it, yet closer to it than we've ever been before.

He wants all the emails sent by his political opponents ?for partisan political purposes.?
Oh, look at the next story: Pepsi wants Coke to turn over all of its emails pertaining to marketing Coke.
Ah, the subpoena power: so much tidier than stealing the other side's playbook.

After reading about half of these rather entertaining posts I've come to several conclusions. First the supporters of the GOP are either mad or very mad at the Dems. The Dems are either stupid or very stupid based on their irrational commentary. Clearly the Dems have actually started to believe the garbage they and the press created to get the masses to vote for their politicians....I'd rather my government spend my dollars for defense than bribing the less educated for vote...but that's just me. At least the Dems are consistant in using bribes for votes....way to go bribing your fellow dems with pork for the party line vote. And yes the two Republicans that took the Dem bribes are scum also.

Yeah, wingnuts - oversight's a b*tch, ain't it?
The problem for your criminal heroes is that using the RNC server makes it pretty hard for them to hide behind "executive privilege," doesn't it? Too bad, so sad.
This accountability stuff just doesn't sit well with you cheaters, does it? "How dare anybody question REPUBLICANS! We can do whatever we want - been doin' it for 6 years - we own this country!"
And that's just one reason America THREW YOU OUT! Get it straight, wingers - this country belongs to the people - not to corrupt republicans and their criminal cronies - and not to you of the radical right wingnut fringe.
Rule of law, baby - subpoena power!

The best thing about the request for RNC email messages used by WH staff for government work is the request cannot be denied. Rove, et al, will have zero claim to executive priviledge.
This may very well be the mechanism to find those pesky smoking guns that Rove has been able to bury before now.
Thank goodness the Democrats took back the House and Senate.
Oversight is back. Sunshine is in!
America is the best country on the globe.

Monica Goodling - spoiled, obstinant, arrogant little twit - thinks she can disrespect and defy the Congress of the United States of America, eh?
Oh, dear Monica - I see Contempt of Congress and JAIL TIME in your dark little future!
Couldn't happen to a nicer minion.

I find all the comments about the election giving the Democrat Party the "mandate" do do everything they want because that is what the American people want somewhat "goofy." They hold what, a one vote majority in the Senate? The last "big deal" in the house was won by the Democrat party by what, 2 votes? And it can't become law no matter what they cry about.

Another thing all you depraved wingnuts have in common - sick talk and fantasies about violence against other people (see the sick post below about "nuking" democrats) - and you always produce your straw man "enemies" as an excuse for your violent impulses - as in anybody who doesn't share your sick world view. You fanatical, pitiful tools are the epitome of the little d*ck syndrome. And your little ones are sure in full display tonight!

Sour grapes, Dennis - all you've got is squealing and wailing about those "mean old democrats" - all you've got is sad and pitiful wingnut blather. I gotta tell ya, keep up your idiot talk because it makes me smile all day long. You see, YOU LOST - WE WON - I'd suggest you just get over it - get over on the sidelines like a good little loser and take your medicine. Accountability - transparency - responsibility - justice - SUBPOENA POWER, BABY!

Liberal really are pathetic. Personally, I would tell Waxman to go pound sand up his fat arse. I am completely disgusted with these hate-America, treasonous piles of steaming feces. They will burn in hell.

Look, I'm a republican, but I also deeply believe in our institutions, and I am glad, that for the first time in 6 years, congress is exercising oversight (Sadly it took the democrats winning to get this). Does anyone here believe that it's a good idea for bureaucrats to spend your tax dollars working on political issues? If that's what the evidence is leading to, and for God's sake, it was testified to under oath by a republican, then we ought to investigate it. We need to clean our own house on this one. I thought we learned our lesson with Nixon, dirty tricks and overreaching are not part of the republican party I believe in, I hope my colleagues learn their lesson this time.

"Will" says: I thought we learned our lesson with Nixon...
Me too, Will. And one of the BIG lessons was that those in power may not use their power to delve into a political party's private papers. He doesn't want government communications, he wants party communications. If we start this stuff, the halls of Congress will run red with blood. Both parties have much to hide. Probably the Dems more than the GOP, but who can really know? Waxman is fishing just as he always does. This is not a guy democrats can take pride in. He is an example of why I no longer belong to any party.

Firefly, thanks for all of your uneducated posts. Your lack of thought before speaking(typing)is typical of those in your own party. Overloading, unfounded, and crap keeps flowing from your lips like jimmy carter on anything. Get yourself educated before you speak and then what flows out will not seem like howard dean on acid.

This is a joke - right? C'mon, it has to be. I'm getting older now, but didn't the Watergate fiasco start with a break-in at DNC HQ in Washington to steal internal documents in hopes of uncovering political dirt on Democrats? Apparently, we've not come a long way, baby...

Doug, you are very wrong. The problem here is that politicians from both parties do not seem to know when or where partisan activity is supposed to end and doing the people's work is supposed to take place(good government). I am neither a Democrat nor a Replublican but I do vote in every election and it is very offensive to me that these politicians of both parties spend so much time looking after the fortunes of their Party. They both remind me of the old time communist who lived to serve the Party and nothing else.
That my friends is the problem here. The Party is more important than the voters.

jpd-the Speaker of the House has no constitutional power to use'diplomacy' with a declared terrorist state (evenint he eyes of your precious Bill Clinton)...oh, yeah, Clinton had Arafat over to the Lincoln bedroom more that any other guest (photo ops, legacy...you know). The problem is you don't think for yourselves. As a member of the democratic party, until the last Clinton term, I can tell you that there is no perfect party, but one that compromises national security, lies to the nation (finger wags) and doesn't take any responsibility for itself is dangerous. I'm not name calling like many posts I've read from right leaning individuals, but you liberals just can't seem to get to the facts through the democratic talking points. Plese think for yourselves. This was not diplomacy, it was a political grandstanding. I repeat, if you think Assad took her seriously, you are seriously mistaken.

The laws that protect the public, government employees and federal government agencies are party-neutral. Just like the rules that govern your workplace behavior are supposed to be neutral. What if someone accused one of your co-workers of breaking an important workplace rule? If he broke the rule, and the action was significant, it needs to be looked at. If he did wrong, then he should man up and admit to it. Or explain why it happened (unclear rules or poor advice from company lawyers, whatever.) If he didn?t do anything wrong, it would be annoying and frustrating for him that an accusation was made, but his best protection would be knowing that he followed the rules. He has a good chance of clearing himself. Same with government, whether the White House or Congress are in the hands of Democrats or Republicans. There usually is a good reason laws were passed in the first place. The best defense is to follow them carefully. Check out the Hatch Act (introduced in 1939) on Wikipedia.

Isn't what Waxman is doing for political reasons? His witch hunt to find the tiniest bit of what could be seen as wrong is sickening. What about investigating Dianne Feinstein's husband receiving $1,000,000's in no bid contracts for his companiesf from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON)? How about Jefferson, how about the guy in Maryland who's purchase of property doubled in value in one year? No only little tiny things, not millions of dollars in bribes!

Also to jpd-why can't you let 2000 go. As I recall, Dan Rather, that oh so bipartisian anchor, called Florida for Gore with 10% of the vote in. Why, also, when the Dems won back the house and senate did you not hear any complaining about voting machines or people not having the right to vote...you people are truly pathetic, as well as ingorant

I love the following comment, by Steve: "...this is no different than what Nixon had his boys do at the Watergate Hotel."
Nixon and his toadies BROKE the law. In this instance, Waxman is trying to ENFORCE the law.
I'll grant the point that in both instances, one party is looking to gain a political advantage. That said, Waxman is in the position of trying to determine if a law was broken. If no crime was committed, the RNC has nothing to hide, and should have no fear of what is contained in the emails. On the other hand, if tax money and the time of our government employees is being used by EITHER party for anything other than conducting the business of running the government, then let's stop it - just as the law requires.

Watching the GOP crash n burn while our narcissist president continues to make demands, would be entertaining were it not so deadly tragic!!! Might I suggest to you few remaining rats, now would be the time to jump ship! That baby is going down!

Now this statement is priceless. From VOR: "If no crime was committed, the RNC has nothing to hide, and should have no fear of what is contained in the emails." This from someone who was probably screaming bloody murder at the NSA Surveillance Program that was operated under extensive judicial oversight.

How about the White House beginning an investigation on the Democrats and their relationship with moveon.org and other administration bashing organizations... or how about Harry Reid's $1,000,000 profit on property he didn't own.... or why is it OK for Barney Franks significant other to be running a whore house but the Alberto Gonzalez has to resign for doing nothing illegal.... What happended to Nancy Pelosi's promise to run the most ethical congress ever.... I guess that means if your a Dem you get a pass for anything you do and it's only the Republicans that will get tanked for doing anything that even smells like it might be wrong.... I love the Dems.... soak the achievers for every penny they earn and pass it on to the people to stupid and ignorant to take responibility for their own lives.....

After reading all the comments posted previously, it's certainly easy to see the polarity that exists in American politics. Why is there no tolerance from either side of the other? Why can no common ground be found? The Repulican right seems to want to do bodily harm to all Democrats on the left and the Dems want to jail all the Republicans. This all is going to get us nowhere. I suspect that is is part and parcel of the binary logic expounded these days by many...you are either with us or against us. Sane and rational people realise the fatality of such logic.
The questions I have to pose are these: Is Henry Waxman within his legal rights to request this information from the RNC? I think the answer is yes. Is it legal for people in the white house to transact official government business using other email servers? I think not. Does the use of such other servers render the call for executive privilege useless? I think so.
Go Henry!

For voice of reason...problem is that the current Congress will waste time just "looking to see" if a law was broken EVERYWHERE. Or they will try to get someone under oath and trap them with what they say. Do you remember any of this from the Republicans when Clinton was in office? And I do not mean Starr. Also, I agree with Joe. And if they want to start working on the RNC, I think they should also go back and look at Gore and the Monks in L.A. and his fund raising...that had no legal controlling authority to control him...I guess.

So let me get this straight. Whenever a Democrat SUSPECTS that a crime MAY have been committed, they should then have access to the most private of the Republican's communications. Is that about right? And we don't even have to discuss "separation of powers" issues here, this insane request is just plain old illegal and must be refused!

Was the use of "But Mommy, Mommy, he hit me first" arguments as prevalent 100 or 50 years ago in public discussions as it seems to be these days? I haven't studied that. I wonder if there was as much reflexive blame shifting -- in the workplace, at home, or in public forums -- among the people raised before World War II as among those raised after it.

While the Republican-led ethics investigation hasn't found anything on Harry Reid's land deal in four years, the entire affair looks like all that might come out of it is a civil libel case - Harry's thinking about suing the reporter John Solomon AP:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/is-harry-reid-getting-ready-to-sue-ap.html
It's looking like digby was right about John when he said: "[he] is known to be a lazy reporter who happily takes "tips" from the wingnut noise machine and faithfully regurgitates them."

What a shame, most likely when the e-mail servers were upgraded to support Vista, the disk drives were re- formated.
Waxman, the low life hit man from a safe district most likely KNEW THIS because his crew of criminals have updated the computers they have, and will make this look like signal event of crimes committed,
The crimes if any, however were committed by Waxman

Vista and the new version of Office run on clients. The new version of office works best/properly with Exchange server 2007. There are documented cases where running older versions of the Exchange package are resulting in compatability problems, such as antivirus deleting entire mail boxes.

Hmmm Since Waxman is so noble and clean, I would like to have a copy of ALL his emails, correspondence and communications. Of course if he has done nothing wrong, he has absolutely nothing to worry about by disclosing this information. Since he is such an avid advocate of openness in Government - and since I am sure he is more than willing to fully cooperate even without having to file a Freedom of Information Act request. Voters have an obligation to conduct oversight investigations and he should fully cooperate.

Yawn. Republicans had the opportunity to subpoena Reid's emails for four years, but they didn't have to because Harry cooperated fully. You can file a Freedom of Information request - knock yourself out. Or you can just read here about how the whole "scandal" was pretty much made up by John Solomon: http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/is-harry-reid-getting-ready-to-sue-ap.html

Put a link on drudge and all the dittoheads and hannitized losers all come out of the woodwork. Take these losers like joe bob henry ray bob billy bob: I am sure you had to scour several republican talking point websites just to put together a cohesive sentence. Pathetic how hypocrites like you accuse others of not thinking for themselves when you quote talking points verbatim. The simple truth is that you just cant take the fact that you lost the election and that now the Democrats are in charge. It doesn't matter by how many seats, the fact is that the American people spoke and smacked you guys on the backside. The people wanted change because they were tired of failed republican policy and the endless republican corruption. You all dished it out when Clinton was president, but, now that the shoe is on the other foot you cry endlessly and whine like some spoiled child when anyone tries to investigate your precious bush administration. Well, get over it and get used to it because this is only the beginning. It is becoming clear that bush is one of the most corrupt presidents in history and his administration must be exposed for all this criminal activity. Once all of the illegal activity is uncovered I am sure folks like joe bob henry ray bob billy bob and the rest of the hee haw bunch will be properly outraged and retract all of their anti-oversight rhetoric and apologize to everyone they insulted. Yeah...in a pigs eye! As if any republican ever admitted they were wrong about anything (just like good old "I am not a crook" nixon). Your apologies must be hidden away with all the WMD, mobile weapons labs, aluminum tubes and yellow cake. You people have your heads so far up your lower orifice that you cant even breathe fresh air. Pull it out and look for the truth!

PUH-LEASE! This Congress is so very disappointing! Can they accomplish ANYTHING that is good for America? All I've seen so far is a list of bills pandering to their lobbyists and a constant flow of witch hunt accusations. These guys are spending so much time in investigative committees that it's a wonder they have time to do any of the work they were sent to do.

Who's in charge now?
You must not have been paying attention lately to what a veto means and what Commander in Chief means.
Also, don't forget, when you look at any of the major issues (affirmative action, taxes, gay marriage, abortion, security, etc.), 70% of Americans side with the viewpoint of Conservatives.
You are living on borrowed time - instead of spending your time investigating Republicans, why don't you go start passing a bunch of new bills to forward your socialist agenda? Why would you waste such a previous time and opportunity?

Hmmm - looks like the Republicans are getting a taste of their own medicine. The RNC demanded REAMS of email correspondence from the DNC during their fishing expedition called 'Whitewater' and later the impeachment hysteria.
What does the golden rule say: 'Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.' Sounds like a justified 'touche!' to me.

Hmmm Since Waxman is so noble and clean, I would like to have a copy of ALL his emails, correspondence and communications. Of course if he has done nothing wrong, he has absolutely nothing to worry about by disclosing this information. Since he is such an avid advocate of openness in Government - and since I am sure he is more than willing to fully cooperate even without having to file a Freedom of Information Act request. Voters have an obligation to conduct oversight investigations and he should fully cooperate.
Posted By: DelaWhere | April 05, 2007 at 09:34 AM
__________________________________________
Hey DellaWatt:
If you have the power to issue a writ to have Rep Waxman deliver those messages to you, then by all means please do so.
Otherwise, please refrain from making a fool of yourself on these pages.

Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly sent Democrats to the Congress to end the war, find and eradicate rampant corruption, and to pass a health care bill. Bush Manchild won't sign anything having to do with health care - other than that, Congress is doing a fantastic job of acting on the will of the people.

Dummies one and all...what do you think politics is about? It does not matter whether it the DNC or the RNC. Both want the power base as the party in power holds the purse strings. Wake up. The Republicans got caught fleecing the Americans with Abramoff, and doing nothing with Iraq. Now the Dems get caught hiding spinach and election funds (among 20 BILLION dollars)in a bill to show they support our soldiers. What are the Dems doing about important issues? This is diversionary, and buys additional time to do nothing but feed their own special interest and lobbyists. There is no outrage at their level. They make you and other commoners mad. Wake up.

Try to get over the republicans winning the last two presidential elections. The hostility is sick, on both sides. Pelosi IS NOT the "shadow" president. She can get all the plastic surgery she wants, shorten all her skirts a couple od more inches, but it doesn't give her anymore power than a drop in the bucket.Both parties need to chill out and try earning their "taxpayer funded salary".

@ VtrGrrl - You say, "The RNC demanded REAMS of email correspondence from the DNC during their fishing expedition called 'Whitewater'." Really? Can you support that assertion? Starr may have subpoenaed some e-mails, but I don't recall any Conressional witch-hunt doing so. Go ahead - appoint another special prosecutor!

DiFi is immune - she is a Democrat.
Clinton is immune because Monica's BJ's felt good.
Those dumb Republicans are BUILDING aspirin factories - and can you imagine building baby formula plants.
We need to get the Democrats back in the White House - There are more Ruby Ridges and Wacos that must be destroyed!
Somewhere there is a gay who feels they are opressed and there are more babies to be aborted, people who are praying - there are taxes we can invent- There is soo much the Democrats need to do.

Serious questions are raised as to whether Mr. Waxman can be anything but partisan in anything he does. He's a Democratic hack at this time and always will be in the future. Get over it and get a life!. Maybe you should start doing some positive government work for a change. Nope, that would be asking too much for a democrat!

FOIA does not apply either to the records of Congress or those of an incumbent President. You as a citizen can no more use FOIA now to reach a current member's correspondence or current White House records than you could have those of Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton during the 1990s. FOIA covers federal departments and agencies, not Congress or the President.

S Ed, you must be one of the most clueless fools on this board. Here is the "email for dummies" version for you: first of all, you dont upgrade an email server to support an operating system (like Vista). Email servers send and deliver email (sometimes they store it, too), and are client independent. Now, you may have to upgrade your email client (used to create, send and read email) so that it runs on a new operating system like Vista, but you dont have to change your server. You also do not have to format a hard drive to upgrade to Vista, although you can. Lastly, you can learn great things like this at a good school like Adams College. Now, I have to go as Betty and I are attending a Lambda Lambda Lambda alumni party.

@ thenekkidtruth - You say "Congress is doing a fantastic job of acting on the will of the people." Really? If what you say is true, why haven't the Dems cut off funding for the war? That is the only sure way to stop it. And where is the minimum wage bill? And when will the "earmarks" stop? Where is national healthcare? Wake up - the Dems strategy is to hold endless (and meaningless) hearings to embarrass Republicans hoping it will play well with the media (it does) and in 2008 (it won't). Dems have no positive agenda. Why arent you libs writing your representatives instead of posting to neanderthal cons like me?

We the people sent these people to washington to do the peoples business, not to line their pockets with money from who knows who and to stroke their egos with the thurst for power. Doesn't this balded headed big mouth something of a high urgency, something for the betterment of our country to do than to persue partisen politics very god damn minute of the day??/ We should tar and feather these grossly neglagent dip sticks after a trip to the wood shead and never let them steal a paycheck from us again.. Remove him.........

Remember "Red, White and Blue" our Nations true colors. Stop the right and left opposition! Were now a torn Nation. Working hard to provide fodder to our gang. Useing Media as a whipping tree we continue to waist every strategy America pivoted on to become the most productive Country in the world. Waxman isn't news. Bush isn't bad. America went to Iraq. Not Bush. There were reasons most people forgot. Worthy hind site is truely 20/20. So America. Either we come together and get it done. Or we continue to chase our tails..
Common sense is all that is required to be American. Not I.Q.
Liberals or Conservatives drop the labels and start fostering a Nation. Government has a place. A "working" place.

WITH REFERENCE TO THE DEMANDING OF EMAILS FROM THE PARTY.
TO EVERY REPUBLICAN COMPLAINING HERE. READ THIS VERY CAREFULLY. REPUBLICANS DID THE VERY SAME THING WHEN CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT.
HERE NOW IS THE BIG QUESTION. DID YOU COMPLAIN THEN? WAS IT A PARTISAN WITCH HUNT THEN?

someonesmom - what is sick is to see a woman criticize NancyP, the 1st woman to rise to her position. why is is that powerful women (hmmm, does Hillary also ring a bell?) are threatening to other women? could it be jealousy?

b'bob - 1 Funding the War - Dems delivered, Bush will veto. 2 Minimum wage - passed in committee, Repugs will oppose. 3 Earmarks - where were you? Dems killed them in the 1st 100 hours. 4 National Healthcare - takes years, Bush will veto. Got any more? Like a Capitol Hill insider said on 09 Mar - "we just shook the first one or two trees, and already cats are raining down."

Democrats won because they ran on nothing and looked like conservatives. They didn't win on getting out of the war. They (Dems.) all have a yellow streak done there backs.They always try to mask their real intentions and will find out what the people really think in 08. If you think people will accept degenerates like Webb representing them... watch 08!

Firefly, you spoiled, obstinant, arrogant little twit (your words, not mine)- your words are the most immature and hateful I see on this board. But the majority of posts from both parties are childish and blind. Both sides are filled with power-hungry crooks. Both sides are filled with hypocrisy. And for you to blindly defend your "side" as pristine and innocent and the other side as originators of the dark side show how the mind-numbed idiot robots can ignore the truth.
Want the truth? Hire an independent commission of attorneys and offer them pay incentives for finding corruption. Better yet, break them into two teams and have one investigate the Rs and one the Ds. Give a million dollar bonus to the side finding the most corruption. I guarantee the race will be a close one and the incidents on both sides will be astounding! Cockroaches infest both sides of the aisle.

Get over Clinton. The facts about Clinton are 1) he's as popular as ever, 2) he had ******** with Lewinsky in the Oval Office, 3) eh lied under oath, 4) he paid no criminal penalty for his criminal offense.

Since comments to this article languished for days before I posted the following, I think it bears repeating: There's every chance that this will prove to be the bigger scandal, literally dwarfing Attorneygate. Remember, we only saw White House emails (what few, and what unredacted ones Bush provided), and they were *incredibly* incriminating. Everything is pointing to the RNC servers as containing the real racketeering, and this investigation will expose emails on RNC. Smart analysts are predicting historic shock-and-awe when these are revealed.

Makes one wonder where Kenneth Starr is when the Republicans need him. Maybe they can recruit him to start another fifty-million dollar fishing expedition into another Clinton's affairs-- Senator Clinton, that is. That would be certain to take everyone's eye off the disgraceful fiasco that has been taking place in the White House during the past six years. Who said "Dubya" couldn't restore dignity and honesty to the White House?
Richard "Tricky Dickie" Nixon, the great "law and order" President, "took crime off the streets and put it in the White House where he could keep an eye on it." George "Dubya" Bush took honesty and integrity away from the American people and put them in the White House where he and Karl "Rovesputin" could twist and spin them into whatever they wanted those words to mean. And the self-righteous, right-wing wackos and fanatical religious zealots responded with thunderous applause and cheering, because they knew that truth, like history, is decided by the victors.
Now, there has been a change in the balance of political power in our Nation's Capital. The winds of change are building to hurricane force, and the Bush Administration doesn't fair well with those monster storms. Can anyone say, "Katrina?"
I have often pondered why "Dubya" didn't cut his vacation short and respond to the disaster on the Gulf Coast immediately instead of waiting three days to fly over the ruins in Air Force One. After all, he interupted one of his numerous vacations to fly back to Washington to sign a bill that sought to ursurp the power of the Courts in deciding the rights of a husband to end the life-support feedings of his wife. But he did that only to appease his ultraconservative, right-wing religious friends.
I say, "Go Waxman, Go Waxman, Go Waxman!" "What goes around, comes around." We "shall know the truth, and the truth will set us free" from the tyrant who now dwells in the White House.

Diogenes - while f'fly and i may be on the same political side, we obviously differ ethically. Namecalling, gloating, superlatives, and mindless harassment do nothing to advance the debate. I do not approve.

Diogenes, Jeesh...could you imagine - each team would be taking voter registration lists and merging them into boilerplate charges - winner would depend on whose computers and printers were faster.
Nope. Lawyers are the only people lower than politicians.

I say toothless bubba is right. Just because a man has no teeth and married his cousin doesnt mean that he doesnt have "smarts real good". We must blindly follow Bush because only he knows what is best for us and we shouldnt be trying to think too hard anyway. Separation of powers and checks and balances are meaningless because he is the president and doesnt have to justify anything he does or answer to anybody. Remember: he is the decider. Even if we actually have a constitution, the president is allowed to ignore it whenever he wants to. All this nonsense about congressional oversight is just being done by intellectual, socialist types who are too dumb to blindly trust a president who has lied to them in the past. In fact, anyone who ever questions the president must be un-american and against the troops. What's more anyone who questions Bush must have forgotten 9-11, and really hates America. Any problems this country has must all be the Democrats fault, even though they havent been in power for years. Stop hating your country and accept Bush!

...a hunting he wil go...a hunting he will go...Waxman 's an idoit a hunting he will go.9 That's all he knows how to do. good thing he comes from a heavy dem district. he'd never get elected in a 50-50 district to mis-represent them.

@ thenekkidtruth - Now this is rich. (1) Minimum wage passed committee. Big friggin' deal - put it on Bush's desk already! (2) OK agreed there - we agree that the Dems have clearly disappointed the radicals. But just maybe they realize that most Americans don't want to walk away from Iraq and leave it in chaos? (3) Democrats killed earmarks? Really? When? What was the number of that bill and when was it signed into law? (4) National Healthcare? - a bill is a good place to start. Has there been one yet? Maybe I missed it. Like I said - pretty lame. Now go back to your hearings about non-crimes ...

Congress is doing a great job????????????? Where did you derive that from?? They are doing a HORRID job, as well as the governing body as a whole. The War is still going, bank accounts of the masses are at the lowest point in history since the Great Depression. Banks are running amok with sub-prime Installment Loans on the horizon of the most monumental collapse since the 80's and you proclaim that "Congress is doing a great job" ?? Who is smoking dope now? We have a Speaker of the House who thinks she is the Secretary of State, we have NOTHING but political posturing in preparation of the 2008 elections. Yeah, they are doing a "fAntaSStic job" and everything is OKAY because SOME of the things happening now happen to CHILL BILL CLINTON some posters on here have attitudes that really s&^k

The winds of change are reaching Hurricane force? You make me laugh. GWB is on his way out anyway. Lets see how much REALLY changes under new leadership. Haven't seen much change so far with Congress other than Donkeys to Elephants.

Instead of going ...gosh,gee,how dare he fire attorneys that he has every right to fire(like Clinton did to 93 of them) try getting to work...gov. work, not patisan work. get over Buss's win in 2000. You yellow streaked people just can't get past that!

DelaWhere, while you believe that lawyers are the only people lower than politicians, I so much want to agree with you but must point out that the vast majority of politicians ARE lawyers. Coincidence? I don't think so.

b'bob - 1 Don't tell Dems about MinWage - they're not the ones who keep killing it. 2 Your poll must be different from the hundreds I read that say 74% of all Americans want the troops back. 3 Earmarks - do your own goddam homework. Wingnuts are big on personal responsibility except if it's their own. 4 *Every* Dem candidate has a solid healthcare plan. Ask your Repugs the same question.

Gassy Jeb is right! All these people who just want to know what is happening with their government are all un-american. Bush will tell us what we need to know and everything else we must not know about because it will embolden terrorists and compromise national security. Dont let the liberal media tell you how to think and feel! Dont believe anything you hear unless it's on AM radio.

It makes the commoners angry when it's pointed out the Dems soldier sympathy bill had 20 BILLION dollars in earmarks. I thought we were getting rid of earmarks when we voted for the Big D last November...what did I miss?

If Gore had won in 2000 we'd all be walking to work and wearing masks to stop the co2 polution. Oh, yes, those that didn't have their wealth re-distributed (K.Marks said that first) can afford bicycles.

Diogenes - LOL the two or three non-lawyers must be the only reason Congress slightly beats out lawyers...
Hey, scientists who were looking for the source of 'Global Warming' and found him.
Turns out is was some lawyer/politician/film maker from Tennessee

If Gore had won in 2000 we'd all be walking to work and wearing masks to stop the co2 polution. Oh, yes, those that didn't have their wealth re-distributed (K.Marks said that first) can afford bicycles.

r'man - you missed it. Despite the Repugs utter failure to do the day-to-day business of the country, Dems have included Walter Reed, troop support, etc. These are *not* earmarks. Repub Alaskan "Bridges-to-Nowhere" are earmarks, and Repugs passed 17,000 of them in six years. This bill contains zero earmarks. Zee-ro.

Bobby Joe Bob is right! It may seem that the policies of the past 6 years have failed us miserably (unless you are rich), but, that is only the opinion of someone who hates America. Stop hating America and blindly trust Bush: it's the only way to defeat terrorism!

Fellas and Girls, let's just stop the partisan garbage, clean up the trash and move on. 6 years of this is more than enough. Dem's need to stop getting on their high hore and Repug's need to stop forgetting they ran with an Iron Fist. We have serious problems facing us collectivly as a nation. Let's get to it.

Kid...agree with you on what the Republicans did with spending bills.
Your contention re: the latest bill. Nope. You are dead wrong. 20 BIILLION. Read the details. You'll find spending for spinach, national conventions, NASA, etc.

Ya gotta admit, this approach to stealing campaign secrets from the opposing party is much more creative sending burglars to break into their headquarters in the middle of the night! Same low partisan crimes, but at a higher cost to the taxpayer!

I say Billy Robert Joe is right! All you pinko communist America hating socialists who dont love Bush are ruining this great country. I am not smart enough to run this country and neither are you, so stop trying to second guess our president. He is the decider, and we must never question anything he does because if we do the terrorists win. Just like that pinko Joe Wilson...all that stuff about yellow cake was just a way to try to discredit our great and omnipotent presidient, and he and that blondie wife of his got what they deserved. Stop emboldening the terrorists by not blindly following our president!

Kid...Oh, and by the way, don't drape yourself in Walter Reed. Dems sit on the Armed Services Committee, just like Ruplicans. Always have. The issue was exposed by journalists, not Dems. Don't take credit. Let me educate you on how this works. It's not just Walter Reed. It's the entire V.A. system. The same problems and failures have existed for decades. That is why Walter Reed was slated to close and all were to move to the Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Now Dems don't want to close Walter Reed? Why? Politics...hmmm? In any event, the conditions and processes for the all V.A medical centers, including Walter Reed are not right and unacceptable. As a side note, Chuck Shumer is on record as saying he hasn't visited Walter Reed since before the Iraq War began. He's the leading proponent of blaming Republicans for the issue. He's equally guilty. Check which committee he sits on.

I feel sorry for you kid. You don't get it. Those who are in power are those to who I refer. Those who are in power will do whatever they can to retain their power and money. If you don't believe me, the truth lies in the fact the moment they gain office, they are campaining for their next election. If you believe I have a black heart, so be it. However, the truth is that I am a commoner, just like you. You just need to open your eyes and have a greater sense of reality, and less anger towards events that you cannot control. Otherwise, run for office.

b'rind - to answer your question, turns out the only thing they've found on the Dems was Harry Reid, who cooperated fully over four years under Republicans, so there's no need for a subpoena. And it seems the whole thing is likely to be made up by "journalist" John Solomon, so Reid is considering a law suit against him:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/is-harry-reid-getting-ready-to-sue-ap.html
Nothing to investigate, but you can wish there was.

Billy Ray,
I hate to nitpick, but when you are insulting the Democrats you really should call them "ignorant" not "ingorant." It makes for more effective namecalling. (RE: Billy Ray | April 05, 2007 at 07:46 AM)

I wonder what the media response would be,, if the White House demanded all of the e-mails from the house and senate to the DNC,,
The e-mails from republicans to the RNC are just a private as those from Democrats to the DNC....
So when is the major news media going to realize that..

I see they have deleted all my comments. I guess they are all scared of the truth about yellow cake! Free speech for some and none for others, right? Well, you can oppress my rights and stifle free speech but you can never take away my freedom!

Stuttering Ray Bob is right! I just dont understand why we cant put all this partisan nonsense behind us and just give ourselves to the great savior Bush. Denying his power and greatness is like saying mayo is better than miracle whip. Lets also stop all this America bashing people - when will you understand that when you question Bush that you are attacking America? Do you really want the terrorists to win? Stop the madness, and close your eyes. By the way Stuttering Ray, it's funny you should mention yellow cake, as I have a great recipe. I think if we all eat more cake and stop worrying about what Bush is doing that we would all be better off.

I say Betty Bob Crocker is right! I have been reading over this board, and I have never been so ashamed of the pure ignorance displayed in some of these comments. How dare anyone speak so hatefully about Bush and the republicans. If you all only would give yourself to the bliss of blindly following Bush and the policies of the RNC, you would then know true happiness. Stop clouding your troubled minds with all of these questions and hearings. Cant you see that it's only the devil trying to confuse you and lead you into a sinful life? Free yourself of the shackles of the liberal media and learn to trust! Bush always knows what is best for us, and we must never, ever question him. That being said, I really must say that there just isnt any yellow cake better than mine. Look for it on the shelf at your favorite store.

FOIA does not apply either to the records of Congress or those of an incumbent President. You as a citizen can no more use FOIA now to reach a current member's correspondence or current White House records than you could have those of Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton during the 1990s. FOIA covers federal departments and agencies, not Congress or the President.

Waxman believes that the Hatch Act might have been violated. That is the act that prevents federal employees from participating in partisan activities on government time. So how is any politician not guilty of exactly the same thing. Hillary, Obama, McCain, they are all running partisan campaigns on government time and all 535 are at work they are partisan. They should all go to jail.
Waxman should not be entitled to this information. Perhaps he should ask the DNC for any communication about Schumer illegally obtaining Mike Steele's credit report. Maybe ask Hillary about her fund raisers and the bogus reporting she did (past campaigns). Maybe we could find out how many of Ted Kennedy's staffers spend time picking up scotch and pulling the car out of the river.
They are all, regardless of party, scum and we need to replace every one of them.
Maybe we can also find out where Pelosi gets her diplomatic skills...
http://www.onebigdog.net/2007/04/05/nancy-pelosi-gets-syrius/

Nostilitus Waxman should be charged with treason along with Stretch Pelosi and the other bums that went to Syria to suck up to the chinless opthamologist. He is one of the most disgusting human beings on the planet.

Bush was in the OIL BIZ.
Iraq has lots of OIL.
Bush and those who control him are much richer now than before the Iraq War.
Why are all you hayseeds still backing him? Do you really like being used like this?

This is a great idea! The Democrats create their own Watergate only without the punishment. They accomplish the same ends but avoid the tacky method of hiring Cuban burglars. Now that is politics at its finest.
Nevertheless, the RNC should hand over whatever it has as soon as the DNC has handed over all of theirs; everything. A subpoena should be sent out for all correspondence and documents by the DNC designed to, in any way, frustrate, hamstring, or impede the success of our war efforts. If found guilty, the traitor should be dealt with as traitors were dealt with during WWII. Also, I think the issue of the war itself should be revisited. Is the DNC on or not? Do we really need to fight the war in the first place? What will be the consequences of our defeat and is the DNC willing to take ownership of such a defeat? What about the prosecution of traitors? If it is not important enough to deal with traitors then it is not important enough to be fighting in the first place. Dealing with traitors is a messy but necessary evil if a nation is to fight a war it intends to win.
All correspondence related to the Walter Mitty 007 conspiracy by vicious DNC operatives Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame should be brought to light; all of it. Those involved in bringing false charges or charges deliberately exaggerated so as to do harm to another's reputation, wealth, livelihood or liberty, should be held to account and punished to the full extent of the law.
Scooter Libby was never found guilty of the original charge but was set up for a process charge. He should be pardoned immediately and have his legal expenses paid for by those who sought to imprison him for partisan political advantage.
I suppose I can say all of these things knowing it is just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. The RNC is a pusillanimus lot. We Republicans put our bumper stickers on our cars. We give money to the RNC committees. We put up our yard signs. We man the tables at county fairs. We are sure to vote. We dutifully shoot our wounded and then march happily like little ladies and gentlemen into a circular firing squad. In the end, those who do make it into office think they were elected to be human pinatas. The DNC understands that politics is a bloodsport. Waxman is exhibit A. The RNC is just too frustratingly full of pantywaist, sissified nice guys who won't fight back.

Correct me if I am wrong, but both the House and Senate have 'campaign committees' with websites on federal servers. I assume federal employees maintain these sites. In fact, Sen. Schumer, chairmen of the Senate Campaign Committee is posting testimony from the USA hearings daily -- during business hours -- to solicit donations.
No one is concerned about Schumer's use of federal employees and resources. Democrats are using Congressional authority to make politically motivated attacks against the opposition party, nothing more.

Two words, William Jefferson. I want to know why a Congressman is keeping 90K in his freezer, and using federal relief resources to reclaim his "things" during the Katrina rescue.
Sorry people, politics is not a crime, in fact I believe every president has a 'political advisor' on the WH staff. You and I get the final word, every two years for Representatives, four years for President, and six years for Senators.
That is how our Republic has functioned for over two hundred and twenty five years. What the Democrats are doing now, in fact have been doing since 3,000 people died on Sept. 11th, 2001, is an abuse of power.
Ben Franklin warned we could lose our democracy (actually our Republic). We are all witnesses to the truth of his warning.
Democrats are making politics 'illegal' will elections be the next target?

Better check with your buddies Dianne Feinstein (recently resigned from her committee - husbands company received billions in contracts), Congressman Jefferson (aka the Freezer), Nancy 'the total moron of the week' Pelosi (ask her about her buddies from DelMonte who she wanted to help out by making them the only people IN AMERICA exempt from the minimum wage increase), Sandy 'the sock' Berger, and ON AND ON AND ON!!!

Missouri Guy-I can't believe you're being so pitifully petty...you misspelled 'posted'...you have not said anything of any merit on this post...go back to your dictionary, you blithering idiot. Don't bother to correct anything that I may have misspelled, do something a little more important, like pull your head out of your ass!!

How old are you people - 2? It certainly sounds like it. If you think the Bush administration is the worst in history, then you probably aren't old enough to remember Jimmy Carter's. Get a clue and try to remember - facts trump naive idealism every time. If only our founding fathers could speak to us today. Oh wait they can - try reading their words. Then tell me the Democrats qualify as the keepers of the flame.

Henry Waxman is a major league *******. He is the ugliest piece of sh-t in washington. Henry @ssman is an ugly, hog nosed terrorist. And should be prosecuted as such. One for being a terrorist, and then again for being ugly. He's even uglier than that stoopid shoe-bomber turd. And that's not easy to do. can't wait till we fish Henry Wax@ss out of his fece-filled hole just like ole saddam. Do something good for the country Waxyman, and GO TO H3LL, you disgusting, b@lless, d!ckless, piece of trash. Go back to h3ll. Afterall, you're headed there anyway, dink.

Billy Ray, i said nothing of the 2000 elections or my disdain for what happened in that election cycle. I made a sarcastic remark about how it's apparant that George Bush doesn't like diplomacy. I may be ignorant on somethings, but you sure do look foolish now. Why do you have selective thinking? Do you always read and hear only that which fits your opinion? That's the great thing about being progressive and conservative at the same time. I can make more money by admitting faults and capitalizing on them while dolts like you are still trying to put a square peg into a round hole.

jpd: At least be honest when you post. You asserted that diplomacy became unconstitutional in 2000, once again bring up memories of that election.
Negotiating with terrorist or states willing supporting terrorism, and currently being investigated by the U.N. for assassinating the democratically elected leader of another state is stupid, foolish, and simply wrong. We do not negotiate with the man that robs a bank, rapes a woman, or commits murder. A state that acts criminally must be dealt with no differently.
We thought North Korea could be handled diplomatically, and learned they broke the treaty they signed before the inked dried. Repeating the same activity expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

So we agree that the investigation of Watergate was not because of the crime but because of the cover-up, correct? Great. I agree as well. The reason they are trying to get the RNC emails is because that is where the cover up lies in this situation. It appears that Gonzalez lied, under oath, to congress about his INVOLVEMENT in the attorney scandals. It's his backtracking and complete incompetence in remembering what had happened, along with his testimony that is completely contradicted by the emails they have recovered from the white house that is directly forcing congress' hand to dig further. Bush and Co could have gotten away with this if they came clean in the initial investigation (*hate* admitting that). What happens is is that Bush & Co. did not use white house email servers, they hid it all in the RNC servers, which are not protected by executive priviledge. By trying to subvert the truth they have unleashed the scrutiny of majority of Americans and Congress, republicans and democrats alike. They are trying to get a concise answer because of the ALLEGED appearance of a COVER-UP. Plain and simple. The investigation continues because the info provided is contradictory and it is the sub-committees job to find out why the attorneys were fired and if they were done so in a manner that compromises the judicial branch of government from its neutrality.

jpd: I cannot believe you equate state sponsors of terrorist activity as "disagreements with us." Terrorism in all forms is a crime against humanity, and must be tolerated by civilized peoples. Period.

jpd: I cannot believe you equate state sponsors of terrorist activity as "disagreements with us." Terrorism in all forms is a crime against humanity, and must not be tolerated by civilized peoples. Period.

jpd: stop being naive. Ours is a Republic of "We The People," and we have the right to see what our representatives are doing. Today that means using websites to make the workings of our government accessible. Government websites are NOT presenting political party partisan campaign rhetoric, they present the factual record of our government proceedings.
And you assert I am ignorant? My goodness, our Republic is in trouble.

jpd: Continued dialog with you is pointless. Is it ok for "Cheney to hire terrorist?" I would rather converse with those who claim our government was behind the terrorist attacks on 9-11 than with you and your lunatic theory. VP Cheney, in fact every VP, serves the President, and only the President can direct the agencies of the Executive branch.
As far as assisting Iranians seeking freedom from dictatorial Imam rule, I hope our government is helping. You libs like to refer to the terrorist killing Iraqis 'freedom fighters.' Can't there be freedom fighters in Iran?
Please be as you claim, an American. Stop falsely asserting our country is the greatest evil in the world and realize all the good we have done, and continues to do.

Tony I have never heard any "lib" claim terrorist were freedom fighters. I have heard plenty of that CLAIM from the rabid right. I have never asserted that our country
is the greatest evil. I do know for a fact that there is plenty of blame to go around. And we are not innocent. We have invaded and occupied a country that was not a threat to us. Instead of stabilizing the middle east, we have unleashed hell! There are consequences when we become all that we calim to be against!

Myunderstanding of the nk siuation picks up at then end of the clinton administration, and I've been under the impression that it had been smothed out and if my memory serves me right, the power plant was part of those negotiations. This may be where you actually have a valid point instead of manipulating my language - kudos. Nonetheless, I think we should have gone after NK first.

Then you should know we had a seven step plan to allow japan to attack us because the president promised the country we would not enter the war unless we were attacked. Our oil embargo forced Japan to attack us and we knew it. YOu would know about Operation Northwoods and the fact that we considered flying planes into our own building for political support for external wars (under JFK, no less) as early as 1953. All of which is easily accessable from the Freedom of Information Act, right?

OK Tony. Dick Cheneys "freedom fighters" have been imported from Pakistan to Iran. (you are of course free to change definition of freedom fighter, terrorist, at will) At least that is what was reported in the mainstream media yesterday. Is it ok for Dick Cheney to be conducting a secret war?

jpd: I ask you please refrain from injecting insults in you posts. Insults add nothing to your arguments and may actually have an opposite effect. Just a thought.
JPD, if you cannot see a conflict of interest when a Committee Chairman initiates hearings at will and uses the daily testimony the same day in party fund raising campaign efforts, then we just need to disagree. But, don't you think is at least 'convient' one man decides subject of committee hearings and the content chosen just fits like a glove to the partisan goals of his political party?

jpd: Wow! First, FDR wanted to enter the war, Democrats in Congress blocked him until Pearl Harbor was attacked. The U.S. not did not embargo oil from Japan, it could not enforce an embargo. What school did you attend that taught that tripe?
Since we are crossing into LaLa land, see ya.

Joey, let's talk about known conspiracies! We can start with yellowcake! Two or more people conspired to plant that forged yellowcaake document evidence into 2 of the presidents speeches in the run-up to the war. It was known to be a forged document , and reference to it was removed from the first speech. Yet it was inserted into the Presidents STU speech. Why, and who did this? Made the President look bad. Made him out to be a war mongering liar. There is another suspicious known conspiracy. Who outed Valarie Plame? Scooter sure didn't talk. Yet there was that evidence that was exposed during his trial that implicated the white house. Libby will soon be sentenced for lying and obstructing. Yet the real culprit behind the conspiracy has not yet been uncovered. Who and why, again.

As for the Hatch Act, it actually has a good intent, the protection of ordinary government employees from undue pressure. I read somewhere that it was passed in 1939 but the concepts behind it go all the way back to Thomas Jefferson. It applies to certain officials and employees but not others. (That's why arguments about what members of Congress post on websites are beside the point. I know this is confusing and what people can and cannot do even can be frustrating but you really have to read the law and argue on that basis.) I read this morning that the Office of Special Counsel (no, that's not a prosecutor, its an agency that is part of the executive branch personnel oversight and protection process) is looking into possible Hatch Act violations at GSA. Go to the OSC website, which is a dot gov website, obviously, to read more about what the Hatch Act covers.
I don't take these things lightly. Picture being a Republican in a government office who is pressured improperly to do something to benefit a Democratic President you don't support. Or vice versa. You'd want to cloak yourself in law. And you can't argue that only one party should be affected by it. And anyone who argues that one party is clean and the other is not is being hopelessly na?ve about human nature. There are weak people who push ethical boundaries throughout the political spectrum, just as there are good people in both parties who try to do the right thing. And sometimes people just trip up due simply to ignorance or poor legal advice. None of that is party specific

Thank you none of the above your view is refreshing and needed to counter some of the partisin rederick in these forums! I wish more folks would look at things from your perspective then maybee folks in power might think twice about abusing that power! Thanks and please run for office America needs you!

Well said, none of the above. PErhaps through me having to re-explain myself I came off as partisan, which is not my intent. My only intent is to prove to people who think this is a partisan attack, which I believe it not to be, is that I support the writ of law and the prevention of a unilateral executive. I also am not defending a party from being less corrupt or from the temptation to abuse power. Unfortunately I got brought into it by ridiculous comparisons, and was simply saying that rationalizing bad behavior with bad behavior has no place in our society or any logical debate. I do, however, disagree with joey's logic that the attorney scandal is no more destructive to our than publishing congressional reports on the DNC website. IT's sad that that needs to even be stated.